lawfull after their owne wills though God be provoked or their brethren damnified Wherefore it concerns us all to take heed of scandall in the use of our liberty in things indifferent I meane of scandall both active and passive And therefore this admonition is to be conceived as pertaining both to them that use their liberty and them that may be offended with it 1. Those that are to use their liberty are to take heed that they marre not their good by evill-handling to wit by using it to destruction and not to edification of their brethren Our liberty is a great blessing of God it is no small benefit that we may have his creatures to use that he hath made us under himselfe Lords over the works of his hands And though he require obedience of us yet he hath given us a large scope in things after our owne wills enough to satisfy us if we have any reason we may eat this or that weare this or that dwell here or there and a thousand more such things are left to our owne choice But what then Shall we grow petulant and wanton Shall we be like an ungracious sonne who when his father hath put an estate in his hand followes his owne pleasure regarding neither parents nor brethren God forbid we should thus requite the Lord Nay rather it becomes us as wee have all our priviledges from God so to doe as a good child to a kinde father a generous Favorite to a munificent Prince even to lay all our gifts at the donours feet to devote them all to his honour that gave them freely to spend that for his service which he hath so frankly endowed us with It 's to bee remembred that we are not Proprietaries but Vsufructuaries of Gods creatures they are his goods still though put into our hands to occupy the earth is still the Lords and the fulnes thereof we may not say of it wee may doe with our owne as we list That wee ought to doe which the Apostle inferres hereupon Whether wee eat or drinke or whatsoever we doe doe all to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10. 31. Not forgetting our brethren but as it is added v. 32. giving none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God or as we are admonished Gal. 5. 13. Though we are called to liberty yet not to use our liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love to serve one another It will be but a miserable advantage to vs to vse our liberty so as to spurn at Gods honour and to trample our brethrens good vnder our feete to obscure the lustre of Gods glory or to make gashes in our brothers conscience Shall a man because he is strong kicke the weake under his feet Shall a man use his owne happines no better but to make others miserable No no Brethren Mercy Iustice Charity our Calling Christs example all these and more then these should teach us better to seeke not our owne but one anothers wealth to use our owne good so as not to spoyle anothers peace We are to remember that as our Saviour said we should have the poore alwayes with us so it is true also that we shall have the weake in faith alwayes with us and therefore it will be a perpetuall duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20. 35. to support not to supplant the weake To this end 1. get a tender and compassionate love of thy brother in thy heart thou art bound to love all men but thy christian brother chiefly Let the love of Christ to thee and him be thy patterne he would not breake a bruised Reed nor quench smoaking Flaxe Isai. 42. 3. He fed his flock like a sheepheard hee gathered the Lambes with his arme and carried them in his bosome and gently led those that were with young Isai. 40. 11. Oh get such a tender love that yee may be as the Apostle requires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 10. Inclined to tender affectionate kindnesse one to another in brotherly love that thou maist communicate to them the warmth of thy bosome that they may have heate by thee and the kissing of thy mouth that they may have delight by thee and the strength of thy armes that they may have safety by thee not be exposed by thee to dangers much lesse bitten and devoured by thee you are not borne for your selves you have not your goods only to serve your owne turnes They are thy bone and thy flesh yea thy spirit too if a christian If there be any excellency in thee yet both are of the same kind If thou differest from him yet who made thee to differ from him Or what hast thou that thou hast not received Love him therefore and despise him not bee tender over him and not contemne him 2. Get much prudence also to know the condition inclination minde of thy brother Much charity may make us willing but there must be much prudence also to make us able to avoyde scandalizing There 's such variety of dispositions opinions and conditions of men that it is no small difficulty to avoyde scandalizing of some one or other Neverthelesse if we doe what lyes in us the Almighty will accept of the integrity of our hearts and not impute to us our defects of imprudence And here I could heartily wish that all christians especially those that are set apart for the ministery of the word would take heed of one evill to which in these times men are very prone I meane the teaching of many things to be evill whose abuse only is evill not the things themselves For what ever bee the cause whether it bee facility of sliding into extreames or unskilfullnesse to distinguish betweene the use and abuse of things indifferent or the debility that is in many to reason and to gather right consequences or the preoccupating of mens minds with erroneous principles or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S t Basill calls it the immoderate drawing things to a contrary way as to think that to be most right which seemes most contrary to Popery prophanesse or the vitiousnesse of the times or the addictednesse that is in men to hold that which their affected teachers doe vent or studium partium a desire to promote some party or to have and to entertaine opinions peculiar to such a party as a Cognizance for them to be discerned by from others or an affectation of singular opinions I say what ever bee the cause the great Charter of christian liberty is too much inlarged by the licentious who make that indifferent which is evill or necessary to the confirming of themselves in sin and on the other side is too much straitned by others in making things evill which are not so expunging that out of this gracious Charter which God hath indulgently granted us therein Both which are contrary to Gods precepts which require us neither to cal good evill nor evill good Isai.
tels us that hee that loveth his brother abideth in the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a scandall is not in him that is hee doth not make his neighbours prosperity his brothers preferment c. to be a stumbling block to him to make him covetous envious c. For the antithesis v. 11. and the coherence of the text shew it to be meant not of scādall whereby through defect of love a mā causeth another to stumble but of scandall whereby a man may cause himself to fall for want of light in himselfe And to the same purpose it is said in that parallel place Psal. 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is no stumbling blocke to them that is by reason of their adhering to Gods law outward objects become not scandall to them 2 Sometimes the hurting of the soule is by the action of another which I therefore call effective scandall as Ieroboams setting up the golden Calves was a scādall to Israel Davids sin a scandall in causing the enimies of the Lord to blaspheme Now such actions may bee scandall three waies 1. In potentia in possibility onely when the action is in it's nature scandalous or in the intention of the agent but not so in the event because of the stedfastnesse and uprightnes of the person tempted So was the action of Iosephs Mistris to Ioseph Peters persuasion to our Lord Christ Mat. 16. 23. and this is termed Scandalum datum sed non acceptum given but not taken 2. In actu actually In the event but not frō the nature of the action or intent of the agent but by accident by reason of the erroneous judgement or evill disposition of the person scandalized as Christ's preaching of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood was a scandall Iohn 6. 60. 61. and the preaching of Christ crucified is to carnall men 1. Cor. 1. 23. and is termed Scandalum acceptū sed non datum a scandall taken though not given 3. In actu per se actually in the event and of it selfe that is from the nature of the action as in Davids sinne 1. Sam. 12. 14. Or intent of the agent as in Balaams fact Rev. 2. 14. In Ieroboam's fact 1. Kings 12. 29. 30. and this is termed Scandalum datum acceptū a scandall both taken and given Now although I conceive our Saviour intended specially this last sort of Sandalls in this place they being the scandals by which a woe comes to the world and a woe belongs to the authors of thē yet I know no absurdity in it to extend this proposition in the handling of it to all those sorts of scandalls by which the soules or minds of men are hurt According to which the sense is this It is impossible or it cannot bee otherwise but that mens minds or soules will bee hurt with displicency griefe anger enmities sinns occasioned by outward objects actions of men which either by accident or of themselves become scandalls to them So that our Saviours assertion is in briefe this That while men live on earth there will certainly be offences and scandalls to the harm of mens soules When our Saviour tels us Mat. 13. 41. That in the Consummation or end of the world the sonne of man shall send his Angells and they shall gather out of his kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all scandalls hee doth plainely intimate that till then there will bee scandals even in his Church that the Church in it's present condition on earth is but as a field in which wheat and tares grow together scandals and good example that it is a mixt company of good and bad wise and foolish weake strong and therefore scandalls will arise This necessitie of scandalls is 1. In respect of the second causes 2. In respect of the first supreme cause of al things The second causes are 1. The persons scandalizing 2. Scandalized 3. Satan who hath ever a finger in all mischievous things 1. A necessity of Scandalls is from Scandalizers first in generall from vitiousnesse of life which every where abounding makes scandals to abound All sin against God is venemous it being the very poyson of the old Serpent And all open sins are like the Basilisk infecting those that come within the sight of them unlesse well fenced with Antidotes It is so connatural to men that they are ready not onely to take but even to suck in the infection Faciles imitandis turpibus ac pravis omnes sumus In opē sins scarse any man sins alone specially if their persons bee eminent either in authoritie dignitie or any other reputed excellencie One Ieroboam is sufficient to make a whole kingdome to sin the prophanenesse of one Hophni is enough to cause a whole Church to abhorre the offerings of the Lord. And if persons be not scandalized with infectiou of open sinnes yet doubtlesse they will be with griefe of minde so that one way or another all open sins sinnes will beget scandalls and therefore such sins being so many and so certaine it cannot bee but that there should bee an innumerous brood of scandalls 2. But besides vitiousnesse of life in generall there are some speciall evills by which scandalls are multiplied As 1. by malice There are that doe data opera of set purpose lay snares for their brethren It is the delight of some to be Satans agents to harm the soules of their brethren they sleep not except they have done mischiefe and their sleepe is taken away unlesse they cause some to fall Prov. 4. 16. Balak hires Balaam Balaam deviseth and teacheth Balak to lay a stūbling block before the children of Israel Rev. 2. 14. Ionadab the sonne of Shimeah directs Ammon how to commit Incest with his sister 2. Sam. 13 5. And these promoters of scandalls are likely none of the dullest but the most active and subtill Satan hath wit enough to choose the ablest instruments for his purpose They use craft eloquence diligence usque ad extremum virium to the utmost of their power to further evill So devoted they are to the divells service that he can have them ready to serue his turne at small wages magna merces quieta movere It 's wages enough for thē to doe hurt Their own disposition makes them active of their own accord And this cause must needs be a fruitfull mother of scandalls Secondly proud contempt of their brethren causeth many scandalls while men sleight the harme of their brethren that they may have their own wills As those Rom. 14. 3. that despised thē that did not eat as themselves those whose knowledge puffed up as the Apostle speakes Cor. 8. 1. Thirdly Imprudence in many causeth scandalls for so it may bee that men may by their speech and actions scandalize through ignorance as S. Peter did Mat. 16. 23. 2 Nor are scandalls more avoidable if wee consider the qualities of persons
our liberty in things lawfull The scandall of Elies sonnes in respect of the foule nature of their facts was worse then than the scandall of the strong in faith by the eating of meats with offence mentioned Rom. 14. 2. Some scandalls are worse than other ratione causae in respect of the cause from whence they arise As scandalls from malice and subdolous intents are worse than those that arise from ignorance and imprudence Balaams scandall by devising and counselling Balak how to intrap the Israelites was worse than Peters advising of Christ to desist from his purpose of going to Hierusalem to suffer 3. Some scandalls are worse then others in regard of the eminency of the person offending because they bring a greater staine to the profession and become a greater danger to men apt to stumble Thus Davids sinne in the matter of Vriah the Hittite was greater then the sinne of the adulteresse mentioned Io. 8. The scandalous fact of a Clergy-man worse then of the people of a Magistrate than a subject of a noble person than one of the Commons Vbi sublimior praerogativa ibi major culpa Saith Salvian where the dignity is higher the fault is the greater 4. In respect of the issue and event of the scandall some scandals are worse than others as when the event with a litle heed might have bin foreseen when the issue is not only the alienation or grieving of another but also Apostasy of some hardening of others occasioning others to blaspheame the name of God to inveigh against the truth Gospell Religion c. Thus the incestuous Corinthians fact was worse than the fact of those that eat with offence to their brethren things offered to the Idols 5. In respect of the number and quality of persons scandaliz'd the scandals of some are worse then of others For it is worse to scandalize many than few weake Christians than stronger c. So that these and such like Considerations vary much the degree of the sinne of scandalizing and consequently of the woe due it Yet so that none but hath it's woe allotted to it In answer to the third question The reasons of this woe awarded to scandalizers are taken 1. from the nature of the sinne For all scandalizing though but by abuse of our liberty in things indifferent is against charity as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 14. 15. For true charity should move us to serve and helpe and sustaine one another Gal. 5. 13. not to harme deject and grieve one another Now the law of charity is a fundamentall law the law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. and therefore in this respect scandalizing is a sinne against our brother and against Christ 1. Cor. 8. 12. Wherefore according to the rules of equity he that regards not to shew love to others deserves to be deprived of favour and love himselfe there being no rule more equall than that of our Saviour Mat. 7. 2. With what measure yee meet it shall be measured to you againe But when the scandalizing is not by ignorance but wittingly and willingly then it is much more against charity and therefore justly deserves a greater woe As when men scandalize of set purpose either as the Pharisees that under pretence of long prayers and fasting devoure widdowâ—s houses by their shew of devotion gayned Proselytes and made them two-fold more the children of hell than themselves Mat. 23. 14. 15. or as our Saviour sayes of false Prophets that put on sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves Mat. 7. 15. or Foxes in the deserts Ezek. 13. 4. They shall receive the greater damnation in that not only virtually but formally not only privatively but also positively they sinne against charity Adde hereunto that if the scandalous fact be such an act as is in it's nature an enormous sinne which though it were done never so secretly yet it would highly provoke God then it is to speake with the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excessively sinfull in that it is both a grievous transgression and a grievous scandall and consequently compound iniquity In which respect the sin of Hophni and Phinehas in their violent profanations their outragious abusing of women even before the Tabernacle of the congregation was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 1. Sam. 2. 17. And Davids deed in defileing Bathsheba and murdering her husband was exceeding greivous in that he gave occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheame 2. Sam. 12. 14. 2. From the effects of it The immediate and principall effect of scandalls is the harme of our brothers soule by wounding their conscience as the Apostle speaks 1. Cor. 8. 12. and quantum ad scandalizantem as much as pertaines to the scandalizer the destruction of him for whom Christ dyed as the same Apostle speaks 1. Cor. 8. 11. Rom. 14. 15. I say not that every soule that is scandalized doth eventually perish nor doe I meddle with the dispute concerning Christs intention in dying for them that perish But this I say that he that scandalizeth a soule for w ch for ought he knowes Christ dyed and for which hee is to conceive Christ died and thereby moves him to turne into the way of perdition doeth for so much as concerns his action cause his brother to perish for whom Christ died although hee neither in the event perish not nor Christ in his intention offered up himselfe as a sacrifice to his father to appease his wrath for him For it is meerely ex accidenti by accident to the scandalizers action that either his brother perished not or Christ died not for him Even as he that maliciously intending to wound Iason Phaeraeus did by accident cure him of an Apostem his fortune was admirable but his malice nothing lesse in his wound by that accident Surely every man ought to bee tender of his brothers soule that it perish not by his action And if notwithstanding his scandalous fact yet hee perish not this coÌ„mends Gods goodnesse but lessens not his naughtinesse Every man ought to bee tender of the soule of his brother as if he were certain Christ died for him when in appearance to him Christ died for him and hee that is not so is injurious to Christ whether Christ intended to dye for the person scandalized or no Even as he that does a thing lawfull which his owne conscience judgeth unlawfull sinnes damnably as if the thing were in it selfe unlawfull Rom. 14. 23. Now doeth not he that cares not to destroy anothers soule deserve to have his owne soule lost should his soule bee regarded by God that makes no account of his brothers If a Cain or Iudas betray or destroy anothers life who is aggrieved that they loose theirs If a monstrous Caligula be so minded that he hee care not though all mens heads were off so that his might stay on who can except against God for letting vengeance loose upon him Adde hereunto
time it lasteth nor that which is extrinsecally evill as being contrary to the governours commandement or to the restrained parties vow or the verdict of his owne conscience or being scandalous and hurtfull to his neighbour is extrinsecally evill to all but only those who are under that government that vow that opinion to whom it happens that their use of their liberty may become the harme of their neighbour That which is evil for a subject of the King of England to doe may not bee evill to the subject of the King of Spaine who hath made no such law as the King of England And that vow that binds him that made it bindes not another which hath made no such vow and that opinion which one man hath and that harme of our brother which restraines one man from the use of his liberty restraines not another whose action would cause no such harme in whose mind is no such opinion Having premised these things I am next to enquire into the Apostles resolutions delivered Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. chapters concerning the forbearing of the use of our liberty in case of scandall which was then in agitation and determined by the Apostle in those chapters Which that wee may the better understand we are to take notice that as appeares by S. Lukes history of the Acts of the Apostles and likewise by other histories of Iosephus Suetonius Tacitus and others the nation of the Iewes was in those dayes wherein S. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans dispersed over many countries of the world in Asia AEgypt Greece Italy and particularly that many of that nation dwelt in Rome In which citty at that time the great city which had dominion over a great part of the earth the Iewes retained the religion and rites of their nation prescribed by Moses and were for their Sabbaths Circumcision abstaining from swines flesh and such like rites derided by the Satyrists of those times famous at Rome Horace Iuvenall Persius and the rest Now of these Iewes at Rome it pleased God to convert some to the Christian faith as well as some of the Gentiles Wee are likewise to remember that while the Ceremoniall law of Moses was in force the Iewes conceived themselves as strictly bounde to the observances of meates and dayes and other ordinances of Moses as of the decalogue unlesse in such cases as wherein the observing of them was against a morall duty For then that of the Prophet took place I will have mercy and not sacrifice as our Saviour determines Mat. 12. 7. Whereupon the godly Iewes made conscience of obedience to the ceremoniall lawes as to other morall precepts When in a vision all manner of foure footed beasts of the earth wild beasts and creeping things and foules of the aire were presented to Peter to kill and eate he replyed not so Lord for I have never eatē any thing that is common or unclean Acts. 10. 14. Hence they thought thēselves bound rather to suffer any torment than to eat so much as a bit of swines flesh as appears in the example of Eleazar and the mother and her seaven sons in the historie of the Maccabees 2. Maccab. ch 6. 7. wherefore when the Gospell began to bee preached and the ceremonies of Moses his law to bee disclaimed and neglected much contention arose betweene the Christians that were of the Circumcision and those of the Gentiles concerning the necessity of observing Moses law in so much that it was thought necessary to call a counsell of the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem to decide this difference Acts. 15. So that although by Christs death the necessity of observing them was taken away and the Gospell being promulgated their observation became dangerous as we read Gal. 5. yet such esteem had the ceremonies of the law gotten partly by their originall institution and partly tractu temporis by a long tract of time in which they had stood in force that many Christians not sufficiently instructed in their liberty feared to neglect or break them after their initiation into Christianity as on the other side those that were well instructed in their liberty did neglect them securely they made no scruple of eating meates of neglecting new moones and the like Festivalls And thus was it among the Romans when S. Paul wrot this Epistle to them There were some that would not eat meats prohibited by Moses law but rather eat hearbes nor would they omit the observation of dayes as not knowing their liberty therein so that if it happened they did eat such meats or neglect such dayes it was with doubting and regrete of conscience These the Apostle calleth weake brethren weake in the faith Others there were among the Romans who made no question of eating any sort of meats nor regarded dayes as knowing they had lawfull liberty therein And these are called strong in the faith by the Apostle Now if this diversity had been onely in practise or opinion it had been somewhat tollerable But the difference in opinion and deformity in practise bred among them as usually it doth discord and division For whereas Christian charity and holy wisdome should have prevented all quarrell between them all harming each other contrariwise it so fell out that the strong despised the weak as more scrupulous then needed and the weak with an aggrieved mind judged the strong as licentious and unholy and whereas sometimes the weake by the example of the strong might bee induced to doe that W ch though lawfull they doubted whether it were so or not their consciences were thereby wounded To ease the Christians of this grievance the Apostle as an equall arbitrator thus decides the controversy In this case the strong should take to them the weake in faith shewing kindnesse love to them but not imprudently intangle them with disputes which bred more doubts in them while they sought to cure their errour about meats and dayes that they should not despise or sleight them for their weaknesse but shew them all respect as believers that they should enjoy their knowledge to themselves but not use their liberty to the grievance of their brethrē that they should not so looke to their own much content in the use of their priviledge as to damnifie their brethren and to wound their conscience On the other side the Apostle admonisheth the weake that they neither censure nor judge their brethren in the use of their liberty nor yet venture upon the use of their lawfull liberty with doubting consciences but bee sure that they bee well resoved in their judgements afore they enter on the practise Concerning the other Scripture in which the Apostle sets downe his resolutions in point of scandals the case was thus Corinth was an eminent beautifull citty called by Tully lumen Graeciae the eye of Greece but a Pagan citty In which the people were wont to worship Idols of Iupiter Mars Minerva c. to these they built Temples
them if they look for great things hereafter they shall bee sure to have them Heaven is their countrey there is their preferment On it they must fixe their hopes by it they must sustaine their soules Lastly this consideration that scandalizing of them that beleive in Christ is the offending of little ones aggravateth much the sinne of scandalizers To trample little ones under foot to injure and harme little children argues much pride and much unmercifullnesse Smallnesse should be the object of mercy not of insolency And therefore in this respect the sinne of persecutors is great who scandalize Christs little ones and accordingly their woe is great which is the principall point of this verse and is now to be handled The second observation and that which is the maine point in these words is this That the punishment due to them that scandalize believers in Christ is greater then any temporall death though never so greivous This assertion needs no other confirmation then the words of the text rightly understood according to the explication before made To which neverthelesse may bee added this argument The punishment due to scandalizers of believers in Christ is eternall punishment in hell For that such is due to this sinne hath been proved before in declaring the woe due to scandalizing in generall and to each particular branch thereof But it is certaine that no temporall death is or can be so grievous as eternall punishment in hell none so sharpe and tormenting none so constant and lasting the bitterest paines of the most lingring temporall death being sufferable and finite the other being intolerable eternall and so in a sort infinite now finiti ad infinitū nulla proportio there 's no proportion between a thing finite and a thing infinite Therefore no temporall death can be equall to the punishment of scandalizers of beleivers in Christ. But that I may distinctly handle the conclusion it will be needfull to consider 1. Who are to bee accounted beleivers in Christ. 2. Why to the scandalizing of them there is so great vengeance allotted To believe in Christ is to acknowledge in heart that he is the Messias that was to come into the world to assent to the doctrine of the Gospell which hee published and to trust in him for remission of sinnes and salvation From hence men are denominated beleivers in Christ. So that they are indeed beleivers in Christ who doe acknowledge in heart that he is the Christ the son the living God that assent to his doctrine and trust in him for righteousnes salvation My purpose is not to take occasion to cōsider exactly the nature and sorts of faith in Christ nor the signes whereby that which is true and genuine is distinguished from counterfeit imperfect or defective For at this time we are onely to consider whom another man is to take for a beleiver in Christ whom hee ought to take heed of scandalizing Onely thus much may be fit to be considered that beleivers in Christ may bee so called either according to Gods estimation as they are in his sight And in this acception they onely are beleivers in Christ who have the most excellent grace of faith planted in their hearts by Gods spirit by which they are united to Christ dwell in him live by and to him which all that acknowledge the truth of the Gospell in their profession of it or that yeild to it in mind a light and uneffectuall credulity to it doe not But these are only knowne by God Who alone searcheth the heart and reines Or else beleivers in Christ are called such according to that estimation man may make And thus wee are to account all those as beleivers in Christ who knowing what they professe doe without compulsion professe themselves beleivers in Christ and doe not openly renounce either by speech or practice the truth of Christian faith though they have much weakenesse of knowledge many errours in opinion and many sinnes in their practice In generall the number of those who professe freely their assent to the Articles of the creed that joyne in the worship of Christ and professe subjection to his precepts are to bee accounted by men as beleivers in Christ the scandalizing of whom is so woefull The reasons why so great a degree of punishment belongs to such as scandalize beleivers in Christ are 1. Because Christ doth love them dearely and they are of neare relation to him The love of Christ to them is abundantly manifest in that superlative expression of it his dying for them hee loved us saith the Apostle Eph. 5. 2. and hath given himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour And in like sort are they most tenderly beloved of his Father Who so loved them that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleiveth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3. 16. And for their relation there is no relation of dearenesse by which their indearednesse to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is not expressed They are his little flock Luke 12. 32. And a good sheepheard is tender over his flocke they are his servants Iohn 12. 26. And of these good masters are carefull they are his friends Iohn 16. 15. and true friends are very mindefull of their friends they are his peculiar people Tit. 2. 14. 1. Pet. 2. 9. and a good Prince is very tender of his peoples safety they are his brethren Heb. 2. 11. and true-hearted brethren are very regardfull of their brethrens good they are his children v. 13. the sonnes of God 1. Iohn 3. 1. heires of God joynt heires with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and strong is the affection of a Father to his Child his sonne his heire they are the spouse of Christ Eph. 5. 23. 25. and what is a man more zealously affected to then to his beloved spouse they are his members v. 30. and what is it that a man will not give or doe to save his members whence it is that he that sheweth kindnesse to them doth it to Christ Math. 25. 40. the neglecting of shewing mercy to them is a deniall of it to Christ v. 45. And an offence to them a sinnne againg Christ 1. Cor. 8. 12. Their sufferings Christs sufferings Coloss. 1. 24. This was the reason why Christ when he spake to Saul from heaven going about the persecuting of beleivers at Damascus said thus to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4 5. Saul thought that hee had bent himselfe onely against a company of peevish refractary people whom hee thought worthy of all punishment for their obstinate adhering to their profession by him conceived impious superstition and heresy but it was indeed Christ himselfe who was persecuted and strucke at in their persecutions And so it is in all the persecutions of beleivers for their faith and obedience Now then Christ must needs be provoked greatly by the scandalizing of
them whom hee loves so dearely accounts so neare to him Doubtlesse what was said of the Iewes Zech. 2. 8. Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye is truely verified of all true beleivers hee that toucheth them toucheth the apple if I may so speake of Gods eye which he will not let passe unrevenged 2. The sinne of scandalizing beleivers in Christ as it is against those whom Christ loves and are neare and deare to him so it tends directly to the overthrow of Christs kingdome For to what end are they persecuted for the faith and service of Christ to what end are they tempted to sinne harmed in their consciences but that they may be alienated from Christ withdrawen from subjection to him hindred in his service Sauls persecuting of David is construed as if hee had bid him goe serve other Gods they have driven me saith David out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying goe serve other Gods 1. Sam. 26. 19. Nor can it be otherwise interpreted but that they which scandalize little ones that beleive in Christ for their faith and obedience sake doe as good as say beleive not obey not Christ. Now all such cannot but fall heavily under the wrath of God and of Christ Iesus the universall Iudge What he said Luk. 19. 27. will be verified of them As for those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne over them bring them hither and slay them before me For loe thine enemies O Lord Loe thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall bee scattered Psal. 92. 9. 3. As it tends to the overthrow of Christs kingdome so especially in the last sorts of scandalizing it ariseth out of hatred of Christ his people kingdome and Gospell which shewes a most wicked heart and causeth intollerable provocation to anger 4. In the practise of this sinne especially by persecution what are scandalizers but as Satans hands to execute what hee instigates them to Our Saviour in his Epistle to the Church of Smyrna Revel 2. 10. tells that Church that the Divell should cast some of them into prison that they might bee tryed and they should have tribulation ten dayes Are wee to thinke that the Divell did in his owne person lay hands on any of the beleivers of that Church and by might hale them to prison as Saul intended to doe at Damascus Nay wee find no record for any such thing nor is it agreeable to the course of Gods providence whereby hee rules the world But rather we are to thinke that the Divell is said to cast them into prison because he excited the Infidell rulers of those times to doe it who therein tooke on them the person of the Divell as Iudas did when he betrayed Christ and Peter though in another manner when hee disswaded Christ from his willingnesse to suffer Now that which is promoted by Satan who is the Father of all evill and the grand enemy of Christ cannot but bee most odious to him and procure his wrath specially when men suffer themselves to be made Satans professed Agents and servants to doe his will For application of this truth 1. wee may hereby perceive the tender care which Christ hath over his people He takes their scandals as if he himselfe were scandalized their injuries as his owne injuries the persecuting of them as the persecuting of himselfe which hee will not suffer to escape unpunished Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the Saints saith the Psalmist Psal. 116. 15. Their lives are pretious and their death is pretious I may adde even their reproaches their injuries their false accusations their scandalls are pretious not sold for nought nor valued as no losse Albeit sometimes it may seeme so yet it is not in truth so as the Psalmist complaines Psal. 44. 12. Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase by their price Nay rather their haires are numbred Luke 12. 7. Hee that valewes sparrowes doth not account his childrē as nought worth doubtlesse the meanest of his Saints hath his teares bottled and his flittings numbred and all his injuries booked Psal. 56. 8. And that to some end even that they may be recompensed in them revenged on their adversaries A great Cordiall this should be to Christs little ones to persist in the faith notwithstanding their scandalls sith this light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for them a farre more exceeding eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4. 17. And as it hath been some content to some spirits dying that they knew their death should not be unrevenged so it may bee a comfort to beleivers that their persecutions shall be required hee will doe right to them justice on their enemies 2. It should further direct us when wee are scandalized to commit our cause to God to our Lord Christ. Thus did Zechariah when they stoned him with stones hee said The Lord looke upon it and require it 2. Chr 24. 22. And thus did our Lord Christ 1. Pet. 2. 23. when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously So should we else wee intrence on Gods prerogative who hath said vengeance is mine and I will repay Rom 12. 19. wee disadvantage our selves by hindering the recompence of our patience wee marre our cause by making it evill which otherwise would be good wee harme our selves by moving God to anger for our miscarriage It s our wisdome to forbeare avenging our selvs else we shall shew that we remember not Christs love to us nor trust his care over us 3. From hence scandalizers may take the right measure of their sinne and the greatnesse of their punishment They thinke commonly when they persecute beleivers godly preachers faithfull christians they doe but speake against and vexe and oppose a company of peevish precise silly weak folke Thus did Paul imagine when he persecuted the Church of God But Christ told him otherwise I am Iesus whom thou persecutest Acts. 9. 5. And so doe all that are moved by the same spirit and walke the same way For wherefore are beleivers hated Is it not for their constancy in the faith their profession of the truth their zeale to Christs kingdome their obedience to his precepts The scandalizing of them then can bee no other but an offence of Christ. There may bee some that may thinke they love Christ and yet scandalize his little ones But this cannot bee the love of Christ and of the brethren goe together as S. Iohn strongly proves in his first Epistle Know then that scandalizing of Christs members is no lesse then the offending of Christ and will be punished as if his person were directly struck at Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Iudgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds and of all their hard speeches which ungodly